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Hello everyone, Thank you for tuning in to listen to me speak about our study titled From Pilot to Program Outcomes and Lessons in Creating a Virtual Nurse Model in the Pediatric Acute Care Unit. This work was conducted by J. Benjamin Pillow, DNP, RN,and myself Julia Robida, BSN, RN, at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Florida. Historically, virtual nursing programs have primarily focused on adult patients, particularly in intensive care units. The use of virtual nurse models expanded rapidly during the COVID19 pandemic. Based on this, we sought to implement a pilot program at our pediatric hospital to explore whether we could achieve positive outcomes. To develop our model, we gathered input from frontline staff, unit leaders, and existing literature, focusing specifically on supporting the admission and discharge process in our acute care units. Our primary outcomes examined nursesensitive measures from patient surveys completed after discharge. Secondary outcomes included nurse satisfaction with the virtual nurse model and its impact on 30day readmission rates.   We completed this study using a retrospective design, looking back at data that had already been collected. Our data was collected via a quality metrics analysis platform, a patient experience survey vendor, and previous pilot study nursing staff surveys .Our inclusion criteria were families discharged from medicalsurgical units covered by virtual nurses and patients readmitted within 30 days of discharge. Our exclusion criteria were all nonmedicalsurgical units and data after August 2024.We measured the 30day readmission rate, patient experience questions such as discharge instructions and nurse communication, and qualitative themes from staff nurse surveys and patient experience survey comments. The study revealed significant improvements in patient experience, with better understanding of discharge instructions and enhanced communication and comfort with nurses. However, there were gaps in the patient and family perception of the virtual nurse role, highlighting the need for further enhancement. Staff responded favorably to virtual nursing, noting its efficiency benefits, but there is a need to better define the virtual nurse role. The survey indicated improvements in workflow and added resource benefits, emphasizing essential communication and the need for tools to increase independence and enhance efficiency and quality of care. The study also showed a measurable reduction in 30day readmission rates, influenced by factors such as the quality of discharge teaching. Unexpected findings included quality gaps in the admission process that affected patient care and discharge planning. In summary, our pilot study and program development significantly improved patient experience and readmission rates. While we received mixed feedback from staff and patients, these insights highlight areas for further improvement. The findings validate the rationale for developing a virtual nurse model, demonstrating its effectiveness in enhancing patient and staff outcomes. Moreover, they provide actionable insights for further program development.   Thank you for your attention.